Hegel homers for Spartans; Stevens deals against Tigers; Holycross blazes 4th best time in state

PRIEST RIVER — The Spartan softball team went 0-4 recently, but played very competitively in defeat against league 2A and 3A powers St. Maries and Timberlake last week.

The visiting Lumberjacks swept the Spartans 12-9 and 13-6 in nonleague play.

Emma Johnson went 3 for 4 with three runs and four RBIs in the first game for Priest River (4-15), while Natalie Randolph excelled at the plate with three hits and three runs, while also striking out eight in seven innings of work. Liann Kren drove in three runs, and Jasmine Martin had three hits and two RBIs.

In the second game, Randolph ripped two doubles and drove in two, while Nichols had two hits, two runs, two RBIs and struck out three in three innings of work. Martin added two RBIs in defeat, and Adrie Minish ripped two hits and scored twice.

GAME 1

St. Maries 224 000 4 — 12 17 4

Priest River 400 020 3 — 9 13 5

Paige Sines, Devyn Wilson (6) and Amber Rose Walrod; Natalie Randolph and Jasmine Martin. W — Sines. L — Randolph.

HITS: SM — Walrod 2, Sines 2, Wilson 3, Auer 4, Hill 2, Cordell, Masterson 2, Wilks. PR — Randolph 3, Martin 3, Johnson 3, Kendle, Kren, Minish, Fink. 2B — Auer, Hill, Wilson, Johnson. 3B — Sines.

GAME 2

St. Maries 205 150 — 13 12 5

Priest River 002 202 — 6 7 7

Devyn Wilson, Katie Masterson (6) and N/A; Natalie Randolph, Tawny Nichols (4) and E. Johnson. W — Wilson. L — Randolph.

HITS: SM — Walrod, Sines 2, Wilson, Auer 3, Hill 2, Ragan 2, Masterson. PR — Nichols 2, Randolph 2, Martin 2, Minish. 2B — Hill, Sines, Wilson, Randolph 2, Nichols.

n Hegel rips home run in loss to Tigers

The Spartans followed that with a 19-2, 17-13 doubleheader loss to Timberlake (11-2), exploding for 11 third inning runs in the nightcap.

Kiernan Hegel slashed a home run among her three hits, driving in two and scoring twice, and Martin ripped three hits and drove in four in a game that was tied 13-13 at the end of regulation before the Tigers scored four in the eighth inning. Nichols struck out five while going the distance in the second game, after scoring the only two runs in the first game.

GAME 1

Timberlake 802 71 — 19 13 1

Priest River 001 01 — 2 4 6

Game called after 5 innings due to 10-run rule.

Becca Malloy and Maddy Salois; Randolph and Martin. W — Malloy. L — Randolph.

HITS: TL — Starr 3, Malloy, Jessen, Jerome 3, Lindley, Smit, Howard, Vanderhoof 2. PR — Nichols, Randolph 2, Johnson. 2B — Jerome, Jessen, Randolph. HR — Starr.

GAME 2

Timberlake 0(10)0 003 04 — 17 14 0

Priest River 00(11) 011 00 — 13 11 4

Bernie Carhart, Becca Malloy (3) and Maddy Salois; Nichols and Martin. W — Malloy. L — Nichols.

HITS: TL — Starr, Carhart 3, Malloy, Jerome 2, Lindley 3, Kalar, Jessen 2, Vanderhoof. PR — Nichols 2, Randolph 2, Martin 3, Hegel 3, Holbrook. 2B — Jerome, Jessen, Lindley, Martin. HR — Jessen, Hegel.

n Stevens leads Spartans in tough loss to Tigers

PRIEST RIVER — Coal Stevens finished 2-3 with a double, and Coby Rogers and Justin Allbee had hits in a 10-0 loss to St. Maries recently, before the Spartans dropped the nightcap 15-1 in doubleheader action.

“We played well in the first game, good pitching and defense,” said Spartan head coach Mark Schultz. “We were putting the ball in play, hitting the ball right at people. We were getting people on base, just not getting the timely hit to drive in some runs.”

Caden Brennan had two hits, and Larry Naccarato and Logan Shockey each had hits in the game two loss, as the Spartans (0-13) were plagued by seven errors.

The Spartans followed that with a tough 31-0 blanking by the Badgers, who plated 24 runs in a first inning rife with errors. Allbee, Coby Rogers, Gavin Rogers and Jantzen Lucas had hits in the loss, as the Spartans tightened things up and put up three zeroes.

Finally, the Spartans were swept 10-2 and 17-1 by Timberlake, with Cameron Reeves picking up a pair of hits in the game one loss that was much closer than the score as the teams were scoreless heading into the sixth inning. Coal Stevens was strong on the mound in the loss, giving his team a strong chance at picking up its first win.

“We really played well this game, battling a very tough team,” said Schultz. “Holding Timberlake scoreless for five innings was very impressive. Coal Stevens pitched great today.

GAME 1

St. Maries 006 40 — 10 8 0

Priest River 000 00 — 0 4 1

Game called after five innings due to mercy rule.

Ethan Hill and Cade Truscott; Janzen Lucas, Coal Stevens (3), Colby Rogers (5) and Cameron Reeves. W — Hill. L — Lucas.

HITS: SM — Larson 3, Hammond, Truscott, Villa, Boag, Gauthier. PR — Rogers, Stevens, Allbee. 2B — Villa, Stevens.

GAME 2

St. Maries 214 26 — 15 9 1

Priest River 001 00 — 1 4 7

Game called after five innings due to 10-run rule.

Brayden Brusseau, Tyson Gauthier (5) and Hayden Villa; Caden Brennan, Coby Rogers (3), Lathe Moran (5) and Cameron Reeves. W — Brusseau. L — Brennan.

HITS: SM — Larson 2, Hammond, Truscott, Villa, Boag, Gauthier, Warnken, Hills. PR — Brennan 2, Shockey, Naccarato. 2B — Hammond, Truscott. 3B — Boag.

GAME 1

Timberlake 000 007 3 — 10 8 6

Priest River 000 002 0 — 2 5 6

Logan McDonald, Alex Drake (6) and Seth Villanpando; Coal Stevens and Cameron Reeves. W — McDonald. L — Stevens.

HITS: TL — Powell, J. McDonald 2, Villanpando 2, Mullin, Privitt. PR — Stevens, Shockey, Reeves 2, G. Rogers. 2B — Privitt, Smith, Villanpando 2.

GAME 2

Timberlake 212 84 — 17 11 3

Priest River 000 01 — 1 2 6

Jack McDonald, Dustin Smith (5) and Seth Villanpando; Jantzen Lucas, Caden Brennan (4), Justin Allbee (5) and Cameron Reeves. W — J. McDonald. L — Lucas.

HITS: TL — Powell 2, J. McDonald 2, Villanpando 3, Smith, , Mullin, James, Larsen. PR — Brennan, Shockey. 2B — L. McDonald, Powell 2. 3B — Villanpando.

n Holycross blazes fourth fastest time in state in 300 hurdles

SPIRIT LAKE — Teagan Holycross laid down a personal best 41.6 to finish second in the 300 hurdles, a time that ranks No. 4 all time at PRLHS and also in the state in the 3A class this season, leading the Spartan boys to a third place finish at the Timberlake Invitational on Friday.

Colby Poe won the discus (138-10), was second in the shot (44-6) and ran legs on the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, and Cameron Parks was second in the 3,200 (10:48) and triple jump (39-10), as each athlete accounted for 26 points. Konner Durham was second in the 110 high hurdles (17.51), helping the Spartan boys finish just six points behind perennial league leader Timberlake.

“It was a good day for the Spartan track and field team,” said Spartans head coach Jared Hughes. “This is our highest finish ever at this meet and I couldn’t be prouder of the boys.”

The 4x200 relay team of Robbie Anselmo, Drayven Ayers, Teagun Holycross and Spencer Sedgwick has the third fastest time in the 3A state rankings.

The Spartan girls didn’t have any medalists at Timberlake, but all four relays scored good points.

Select Spartans are at the District 1 Meet of Champions at Post Falls on Thursday, as the top 16 individuals and 8 relays in all of District 1 (5A to 1A) will compete, with about 20 Spartans in action.